No Beast in the East

Marxus from College Park

*FAN SUBMISSION by our very own Marcus from College Park.  He has become a consistent contributor for The Sports Column, as well as 106.7 the Fan in Washington D.C.*

Long considered one of the most potent divisions in the NFL, the NFC East has fallen into decay.  Yes the New York Football Giants, winner of two Super Bowls in the last four years, reside there at the top but it’s the other three clubs Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington, with combined records of 9-16 that really stinks up the joint.

In 1820 Charles Colton wrote “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and “Imitate” is what the three franchises, who are engaged in a drama filled Battle Royale for the NFC East cellar do.  Inexplicably it’s not the Giants’ Franchise they chose to model their operations after.  Instead the Cowboys, Eagles and Washington draw on each other’s proven failed practices and embrace them as their own, with the glee of having just discovered fire.

The Eagles remarkably ignored history and bought up all the top name free agents before last year’s season; guaranteeing in their own minds that they would surely be the top dog, not only in the NFC East but in all of football.  Oh, it worked all right, just like it worked in Washington and Dallas for so many years.  You win big in the off-season and the Eagles did, leading the babbling bobble head prognosticators to install Philly as the hands down Super Bowl favorite.  Alas though, money and a star studded roster doesn’t buy happiness or wins in the NFL.  Last year, the Eagles went 8-8, are 3-5 now and on the verge of firing their long time successful coach and releasing their reclaimed acclaimed QB.  Some plan, huh?  An expected result for a club that imitated it’s off season free agent philosophy from the dysfunctional front office practices in D.C. and Dallas.

The mirrored images of the operations and owners of Dallas and Washington are a compelling study of imitation, partnership and disgrace.  In the 13 seasons of Dan Snyder’s ownership of Washington, the team has had 7 head coaches; Jerry Jones’ Cowboys have had 7 head coaches as well.  Both owners have been directly involved in player personal moves that have resulted in disastrous results on the field, grossly overpaying aging players and in both teams’ case, crippling salary cap penalties.  Remarkably, only five players from the 2009 and 2010 drafts combined are on the Dallas Roster.  While in Washington, it’s beginning to be reasonably debated, was the price to draft RG3 too high, considering the lack of support and depth the club is able to surround the now banged up and struggling rookie.

Both owners have deeply rooted nepotism in their play books as well.  All of Jones’ three children work for Dallas’ front office, while in D.C., if you’re the Head Coach, it’s bring the kids too. That clearly evident by Marty Schottenhiemer, Joe Gibbs and Mike Shanahan adding their sons to the coaching staff.

The Cowboys haven’t been relevant for 17 years; in the early 90’s clearly the credit went to Jimmy Johnson who built the teams that won three Super Bowls not Jones.  So, since 1997, fifteen years, the once mighty Cowboys are on the losing end of a paltry 123-124 record.  Dallas fans are not reassured by the recent defiant declaration by Jones that “He is GM for Life.”

Magic Johson, Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder

So how’s Dan Snyder and his football club been fairing since his take over and blow out of all the tenured staff in Ashburn thirteen years ago?  A miserable 94-123 record stands as testimony to the operational ownership ineptness of Snyder’s influence; two owners that have abundantly earned and deserve the identical criticisms hurled their way.

Further, the clear lines of division between Dallas and D.C., once considered one of football’s fiercest owner, player and fan rivalries, has dissolved into a partnership of greed, cooperation and being outcast by their fellow owners.  In 2007 an alliance between Jones, Snyder and Papa Johns began, resulting in the infamous “Pizza Boy Snyder” dutifully delivering Jerry a pizza in Dallas’ stadium in a 2010 commercial.  Photographs of Jones and Snyder have surfaced showing the two arms in arm, vacationing together with Magic Johnson in Cannes.  Is that weird?

Recently the two owners joined in a lawsuit together against the NFL to not only sue their fellow partners but in fact sue themselves as part and parcel of NFL ownership.  Go figure, it had the owners, front offices and fans of D.C. and Dallas defending the other’s Team.  It’s Helter Skelter!

So Now we have it, the Giants cruising along the top of the NFC East with their blueprint of solid, non-interfering ownership, excellent front office performance and on the field outstanding leadership.  Meanwhile the franchises in Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington are joined, locked arm in arm in a free fall spiral clutching the copied failed practices of each other’s, owners, GM’s and Coaches.  Wouldn’t it be amusing if we’re confronted with a tie breaker, between the three clubs, at the end of the year to determine the “Worst of the Worst” at the bottom of the NFC East?